Corner hinge for crates



March 16, 1954 J. B. FREAR CORNER HINGE FOR CRATES 2 SheetsSheet 1 Filed Jan. 15, 1951 W 70%? JENNESS B. FREAR March 16, 1954 Filed Jan. 13, 1951 J. B. FREAR CORNER HINGE FOR CRATES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 //\/VE/V7Z7/? JENNESS B. FREAR Patented Mar. 16, 1954 CORNER HINGE FOR CRATES Jenness B. Frear, Altadena, Calif assignor to Watkins Patents, Inc., Quincy, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application January 13, 1951, Serial No. 205,889

3 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to a hinge construction and more particularly to a novel corner hinge assembly for joining the sides of a collapsible container such as a wooden crate or similar container.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a novel corner hinge construction for joining the adjacent sides of a crate or container in such manner that this crate or container may be readily collapsed for shipment, or may be readily extended or opened from its collapsed position for use.

The present novel hinge arrangement may be provided at each of the four corners of a crate, or employed with a crate or container where one or more of the corners thereof are left open to facilitate packing or removal of the packaged article. Also the novel corner hinge construction is adapted for hinging the sides of a solid box or container which may be formed of wood or other materials suitable for the purpose intended.

Another important advantage of the present invention is that with the novel corner hinge construction and its manner of application and operation, lumber or material suitable for use as parts of the crate or container upon which the hinge elements are mounted may be of less thickness and of lighter weight than may be used with other types or constructions of hinges now available.

The present invention further comprehends the provision of a novel corner hinge assembly that most efiectively resists any internal or external forces to which the panels of the crate or box may be subjected in use. By reason of the novel positioning and arrangement of the wires forming the hinge elements or members, the panels or cleats are not subjected to the splitting and tearing actions at the edges thereof resulting from the use of prior types of wire hinges, and neither are the wires of the present hinges subjected to the bending stresses inherent in uch prior hinges. V

The invention further resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and while there is shown therein a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification and change, andcomprehends other details, arrangements of parts, features and constructions without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a crate employing the present novelcorner hinge construction, but with the top and bottom of the crate disassembled or separated from the body of the crate.

Fig. 2 is a view in horizontal cross section taken in a plane represented by the line 2--2 of Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged view in perspective of the novel hinge construction and showing the manner of connecting the corner pieces and the location and arrangement of the hinge members when the crate is open.

Fig. 4 is a view of the crate body of Fig. 2 in partially collapsed condition.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are views in end elevation showing the successive stages in attaching the hinge members of the hinge construction to the adjacent panels of a solid box or container.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal, cross sectional view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a crate in which one corner is not hinged for facilitating packing.

Fig. 9 is a view of the crate body of Fig. 8 in extended or collapsed position.

Referring to the disclosure in the drawings and more particularly to the novel illustrative embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the novel corner hinge H) of the present invention is shown applied to the corners of a crate body I I for joining the panels [2 of this crate body. These panels may be provided with vertical corner cleats l3, horizontal slats l4 and crossed or diagonally extending slats l5 which are shown secured to the horizontal slats. present invention is not limited to a crate of the disclosed type, but comprehends any construction of crate, box or container in which the sides or panel are intended to be joined by a hinge and preferably of the collapsible type. The assembled crate includes a top l6 and a base or bottom I! of any suitable construction. In the disclosed embodiment, each top and bottom is formed of overlapping cleats. [8,.and to facilitate stacking of these. crates when packed the cleats on the top and bottom are preferably difierently arranged. For example, the bottom cleats of the base ll extend in one direction while the upper cleats on the top iii are disposed at an angle of approximately thereto. When so disposed, crates may be stacked and maintained in that position. It may be desirable in some cases to have top cleats parallel to bottom cleats. In that event, the tube construction can be altered to provide for such a design.

The novel hinge assembly H! for connecting the adjacent panels comprises .a pair of wire hinge'members l9 and 20 secured tothe corner cleats and adjoining horizontal slats l4 and However, the

with the ends 2| and 22 of these hinge members joined and connected together in the manner shown.

The attachment or initial assembly of these hinge elements is more clearly shown in Figs. 5, 6 and '7, except that the hinge elements or members are there shown as attached to a single cleat or solid panel, whereas in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, each hinge member is afiixed to a corner cleat and to a horizontal slat. Each consists of a length or section of wire initially bent or preformed into a substantially U-shape with one leg 23 of somewhat greater length than the other leg 24, and the end thereof bent outwardly as shown in Fig. 5. The shorter leg 24 of each member pierces or projects outwardly through an opening in its respective corner cleat I3 and an adjoining horizontal slat 14, with the base of the hinge member contacting the inner surface of the horizontal slat I4, and the longer leg 23 of each member disposed or positioned against the adjacent edge of the adjoining corner cleat l3 and the end of the adjoining horizontal slat M (Fig. 3). This longer leg 23 of each hinge member is bent and formed or provided at its end 2| with an eye 25 adapted to receive the end 22 of the shorter leg 24 projecting beyond the corner cleat l3, after which the end 22 is bent over and the wire hinge members or elements l9 and 20 are interlocked into a highly effective hinge assembly.

To facilitate the joining of the ends of the hinge members l9 and 20, these members are preferably preformed and bent into substantially U- shape but with the end of the longer leg 23 of each containing the eye 25 being bent outwardly ber 20, and simultaneously the longer end 23 of hinge member 23 is bent outwardly from the position of Fig. 5 toward the projecting end 22 of the shorter leg 24 of hinge member I 9. Also, the projecting ends 22 of the shorter legs 24 of the hinge members l9 and 20 are bent inwardly toward the eyes 25 of the longer legs 23 so as to enter these eyes, and after that has taken place the ends 22 are bent back or over in the manner shown in Fig. 7, whereby to lock the hinge memw bers in assembled relation.

In Figs. 8 and 9, the present novel hinge assembly is disclosed as employed in a form of crate 21 in which the four side panels 28 are hingedly connected at three corners, the fourth corner remaining unhinged to facilitate packing. In this form, the hinge members I9 and 20 are mounted on or connected to corner cleats l3 and horizontal slats I4 as in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, but with the corner cleats 29 and 3! of two adjacent panels adapted to overlap when the crate is in closed position. These overlapping ends or cleats are then securely retained or held by nails 32 or other suitable attaching means when the crate is packed, and when the packed crate is to be emptied these nails are withdrawn.

In the novel forms of crates, the side walls of the panels may be of relatively thin but still material such as wood, corrugated paper board, fiber board or any material suitable for the purpose.

When shipped by the manufacturer to the packer or when returned to the packer for reuse, the disclosed forms of crates may be readily collapsed or flattened as in Fig. 4 or in Fig. 9, whereby they occupy a minimum of shipping space and a substantial saving is thereby effected.

From the above description and the disclosure in the drawings, it will be noted that the present novel hinge is so designed and constructed that it will most effectively resist any internal force tending to push the panels outward by applying pressure on the outer face of the panel against which the force is applied. In the event an external force is applied to a panel hingedly connected in the manner here disclosed and tending to force or push that panel inwardly, such force is resisted by the hinge wires at the adjoining edges of these panels without exerting a splitting or tearing action on the container at these adjoining edges.

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

1. A corner hinge assembly for hingedly joining the corner cleats of adjacent panels of a collapsible crate or container, comprising a pair of wire hinge members each initially of substantially U-shape with one leg longer than the other and with the end of each longer leg bent and provided with an eye for receiving the end of the shorter leg of the other member, the end of the shorter leg of each member projected through and anchored in one of the adjacent corner cleats and with this projecting end received in the eye of the other hinge member and bent to interlock therewith whereby to provide a hinge assembly.

2. A corner hinge assembly for hingedly connecting the corner cleats of adjoining panels of a collapsible crate or container, comprising a pair of wire hinge members each having spaced legs of unequal lengths, the shorter leg of each member being projected laterally through its corner cleat at a point spaced a substantial distance inwardly from the edge of the cleat and the longer leg of each member projecting between the adjoining edges of the adjacent corner cleats and then bent over the outer surface thereof with the ends of one hinge member attached to the ends of the other hinge member to provide a hinged connection between adjoining panels.

3. A corner hinge for connecting the panels of a container whereby to permit the container to be quickly collapsed or made ready for use, comprising a pair of wire hinge members initially of substantially U-shape and each provided with a leg adapted to pierce an adjoining panel in a plane substantially normal to the plane of the panel and with its end projecting to the exterior of the panel, and a leg of greater length than the first adapted to extend over the interior of the panel to the space between the adjoining panels, then outwardly between the adjoining panels and then folded down against the exterior of the adjoining panel where it engages and interlocks with the projecting end of the second hinge member.

JENNESS B. FREAR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 618,924 Walton Feb. 7, 1899 652,305 Walton June 26, 1900 1,335,060 Kenniker Mar. 30, 1920 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 6,012 Great Britain Aug. 14, 1913 

